How to Get Rid of 'Bubble Guts'

7 minute read time
Medically reviewed by
Giorgio Napoli, MD
on
February 15, 2022

Adding to the list of slang used to describe our bodies are bubble guts. Though it's not the most dignified phrase around, it is certainly descriptive. Read on to discover what they are, why they happen, and how to get rid of bubble guts fast.

What is a Bubbly Gut?

Also known as growling or rumbling, "bubble guts" typically occur when we're hungry or have an upset stomach. Known within the medical community as borborygmi, these sounds are usually normal bowel sounds resulting from the presence of fluid and gas in the stomach and intestines. Though, they may also be associated with slow or incomplete digestion, or when we're consuming certain foods.

Since there's an increased amount of gas and fluids in the intestines, it's common to experience bubble guts when you have diarrhea, a condition often associated with pain and discomfort.

What Causes Gas Pain?

While gas is a normal part of digestion, excess gas builds up in your intestines and can sometimes signal an underlying condition. For instance, gas pains can be caused by digestive gastrointestinal disorders, such as celiac disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). 

Of course, gas pain can also be caused by eating certain foods. Symptoms typically include abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation, and bloating.

As a side note, if your gas is accompanied by unusual bowel movements like diarrhea and constipation, or other symptoms like weight loss, fatigue, or chest pain, you should seek medical attention.

Food Intolerance

While food allergies and food intolerance produce similar symptoms, they're not the same. Food intolerance is when your digestive system isn't able to process or digest certain foods.

Lactose intolerance is common food intolerance caused by lactose malabsorption. It's estimated that about 36 percent of people in the United States have malabsorption. Lactose intolerance is characterized as, "a condition in which you have digestive symptoms — such as bloating, diarrhea and gas — after you consume foods or drinks that contain lactose.”

Lactose is a sugar that's found in curds, dry milk solids, milk, and other dairy products. Common symptoms of lactose intolerance include bloating, diarrhea and gas.

Normal Digestion

When you eat, a complex interaction takes place that involves your food, all parts of your digestive system, the gut microbiome (the good bacteria in your large intestine/colon), and your brain. Normal digestion can be defined by when this interaction goes smoothly.

While belching or burping, bloating, and passing gas are all a sign of normal digestion, frequent bubble guts, including gas pain, are at times the result of eating certain foods.

Swallowing Air

When you swallow air, gas enters your digestive tract. Swallowing a small amount of air when eating or drinking is normal, but some people swallow more air than others. For example, you can swallow more air if you eat too fast, smoke, or chew gum. Drinking carbonated or fizzy drinks, or drinking too fast or through a straw can also cause you to swallow more air.

A High Fiber Diet

Let's start off by saying that a high-fiber diet can do wonders for your health. One of the many benefits of fiber-rich foods is that they aid in digestion. If you're thinking, hold on. How is a high fiber diet good for me but causes me gas pain? There's a simple explanation.

There are two types of fiber; soluble and insoluble. Both these types can be used as a food source for your good bacteria. For some people, when they increase their intake of fiber- especially soluble fiber - they develop symptoms like gas.

Insoluble fiber passes through the intestines unchanged and speeds digestion. On the other hand, soluble fiber dissolves in water, creating a gel-like consistency that slows down digestion. This process of breaking down is what causes gas.

If you're eating foods that are low in fiber and suddenly switch to a high-fiber diet, in particular soluble fiber, then you're more likely to have excess gas. The trick is to gradually increase your fiber intake so you allow your stomach to adjust to this change. We’ve compiled a list of healthy foods that are high in fiber and can help you poop more regularly.

How to Relieve Gas and Stomach Pain Fast

If you're wondering how to get rid of bubble guts and get relief from unpleasant symptoms like gas and stomach pain fast, we've got you covered. Read on below for some optimal and all-natural solutions.

Take Probiotics

Probiotics are live bacteria that line your digestive tract. These beneficial microorganisms help boost the number of good bacteria in your gut. Research shows that probiotics can help reduce diarrhea and help with the prevention or treatment of Crohn's disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and ulcerative colitis.

By creating a physical barrier against bad bacteria, probiotics help promote healthy digestion, reduce inflammation, and support your immune function.

Some of the best probiotic foods to add to your diet include kefir, kimchi, kombucha, miso, natto, pickles, and raw cheese. Even if you don't have diarrhea, gas, or an upset stomach, you can still benefit from the powerful health benefits probiotics introduce.

Get More Exercise

When you have stomach pain or are dealing with excess gas, the last thing you probably want to do is exercise. But as it turns out, a little movement can help relieve pain, discomfort, and gas. Researchers have actually found that walking helps food move quicker through the stomach.

Remember, when the contents of the stomach are emptied faster, gas moves more quickly into the small intestine, which reduces issues like gas pain. Other studies have found that physical activity improved trapped gas in the intestine and helped reduce bloating in patients. 

Drink Peppermint Tea

Peppermint tea might help relieve digestive symptoms like gas, bloating, and pain or discomfort. Though more research is necessary, a study of 926 people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) treated with peppermint oil for two weeks reported it provided significantly better symptom relief than a placebo. 

Try an Elimination Diet

When it comes to your diet, it's important to know your own personal triggers. If you have frequent stomach pain, diarrhea, or gas pains, the food you eat could be contributing to your unpleasant and painful symptoms.

The first foods to eliminate from your diet are legumes, which are high in FODMAPs. These are foods high in short-chain carbohydrates and are difficult to digest and produce excess gas.

You should also eliminate lactose (which is found in milk and dairy products). Gluten is another offender that's often associated with bubble guts. Fructose, which is found in fresh fruits, can also cause stomach problems. Consider reducing or eliminating apples, oranges, and other high fructose fruits.

Use a bidet when diarrhea occurs

You’ll want to handle your backside with extra care when you have diarrhea. Frequent runny bowel movements can irritate the already delicate skin around your anus. This can make wiping uncomfortable. Turns out, wiping isn’t even the best move in this case. The International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders recommends washing rather than wiping when you have anal discomfort.

If you’re at home, you can:

If you’re dealing with diarrhea on the go, you can wash the area with wet toilet paper instead of wiping or use fragrance-free wet wipes made for sensitive skin.

Some wet wipes contain perfumes and chemicals that can dry out or irritate the skin, so make sure to check the ingredients. You can buy hypoallergenic wipes. If dry toilet paper is your only option, aim to use a gentle patting motion instead of rubbing.

Conclusion

Bubble guts can be uncomfortable, painful, or embarrassing, but in most cases, there's nothing to worry about. You can support your gut health by eating the right foods, staying away from the problematic ones, and being active.

New and exciting ways to monitor bubble gut are also on the way. Designed with high-quality biometric sensors, the Çava Seat can track your gut health, heart health, fitness progress, and more, without changing your daily routine. Daily bathroom visits provide some of the best information needed to identify gut imbalances and food intolerances.

By tracking your vitals, body composition, and waste quality the Çava Seat is able to learn over time and make recommendations to help you live a healthier life.

FAQ

Why are my guts bubbly?

You can have bubbly guts for a variety of reasons. In most cases, it's just your tummy telling you to feed it, or your digestive system doing its job. Other times it could be due to food intolerance, swallowing too much air, or consuming too many soluble fiber foods. If you frequently have bubble guts, it could be a serious condition like IBS, celiac disease, or SIBO.

How do you get rid of diarrhea?

You can get rid of diarrhea without drugs. One of the best remedies for diarrhea is probiotics. Studies show that these beneficial microorganisms help reduce diarrhea by restoring normal bowel function.


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Medically reviewed by
Giorgio Napoli, MD
on
February 15, 2022
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